PERFECTED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD.
The pinnacle of Kenworth’s engineering: the T680, a masterpiece of aerodynamics designed for long-haul efficiency. This tractor combines a high-perfomance PACCAR powertrain with durable, easy-to-maintain components for unparalleled uptime. Enhanced with cutting-edge technology, it offers a driving experience that’s both intuitive and safe, reducing driver fatigue. The cabin, akin to the luxury found in top-tier automobiles, elevates comfort to new heights. Welcome to the next level of trucking with the Kenworth T680.
THE SUN DOES RISE AFTER THE NIGHT
After a dismal few years, there is much hope for the trucking industry across the nation. It was predicted that perhaps by this past summer, trucking would return to better times…but it did not, and it left many in doubt. Thankfully now, many reports show better sales of trucks and equipment, along with a more optimistic look for the industry. Even Loadlink has reported month after month improvement in freight indexes, which is always a good sign.
The economy is showing signs of improvement and with the Bank of Canada lowering its interest rates again, many are looking at making big purchases such as homes, vehicles, and commercial trucks and equipment. And for the trucking industry, this will help those individuals or companies that found previous interest rates too high.
In the final issue of 2024, Desi Trucking Magazine has some great articles related to the trucking industry. Ray Gompf discusses
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the need for such extensive safety systems in trucks – do we really need them all? Pash Brar looks the issue of credit card debt and ways to tackle it. And with winter almost upon us, Mike Howe looks at what to have in your truck during the cold months. There’s also a great read on the increase in deer collisions in North America and how to prevent them.
After much success of last year’s inaugural Metro Vancouver Transportation Night, JGK Media Group is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual MVTN, taking place on November 14th in Surrey, BC. For more information on how to attend this event, go to www.jgkmedia.ca/event/.
From all of us at JGK Media Group, we wish you a very Happy and Joyous Holiday Season. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and best wishes for all traditional festivities. And finally, we wish you success, happiness and prosperity for 2025.
Editor-In-Chief
Advertising & Sales
Jag Dhatt
Art Director Ranjit Singh
IT Manager Ranjit Singh Bhamra
Cover Design Ranj Bhamra
Cover Photo Credit Anadolu Agency / Contributor
Contributing Writers
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Jag Dhatt; Michael Howe; Pash Brar; Ray Gompf; Ron Dhaliwal; Jimmy Gill; Sanjana Karthik; Staff Reporters
Translator
Tirath S. Khabra
Cell: 604-767-4433
jag@jgkmedia.ca
F: 604-598-9264
Jag Dhatt
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Safety Systems in Trucks: Do We Need Them?
From my point of view, I’m going with a resounding no in general terms. Why? It seems there are two types of truck drivers – those who drive well, drive safely as all truck drivers should do and yes, the majority are in this category. They follow all the rules, drive the truck properly, as required by sensibility, regardless of office staff, or shipper/receiver pressures. Then there are those that don't. On the road is not where you make up time.
Why is it, despite having safety systems to prevent all sorts of issues, the number of wrecks, these past few years, has gone up exponentially? Why are these wrecks far too often involving a “Driver Inc” operation? Why are too many of these wrecks involving a driver or drivers under the gun of indentured
servitude? Why are far too many of these wrecks involving an under-trained licensed driver way over their heads in terms of skill.
All the built-in safety systems obviously are either being relied upon to bail inexperience out of danger or are being overridden.
There’s certainly an abundance of bells and dinging and buzzers to drive a good driver into despair so for an under experienced driver the mind must boggle.
For every skill a computer assumes (safety device) is a skill lost for the human driver. To wit: the automatic transmission. The manual shifting skill is being lost. Yet the safety device that saved
more lives than can ever be computed, the CB radio, has become as useless as side vent windows. The CB warned of issues be it weather, wildlife, wrecks, authorities close by, or whatever. There was constant real human conversation that actually warned of impeding issues. No computer, no warning buzzer from a computer is going to ever replace that human interaction in real time in clear language. When you hear a buzzer, now you have to start to figure out what the issue is and even cause some distraction from the real job at hand which is to stay focused on the job at hand.
Just because a brilliant engineer can dream up some monitoring device to warn of disaster, doesn’t mean it’s going to improve safety. There are far too many rules, devices and warnings delivered in
G. RAY GOMPF, CD
the name of safety but may not be safe overall.
The word safety should be strictly reserved for things that actual work towards providing a safer environment. Using the safety flagpole to promote something questionable is a disservice. Safety means improving safety mindset, not just a means for gadgets to be invented and promoted.
Many of these “safety devices” are being created for the purpose of trucks running completely without human intervention — in the name of safety.
failure. Could it be a distinct lack of a career path? Poor wages? Entry level costs being too high? These are just some examples.
Yet, the solution to the wildly out of control incident/wreck numbers that has evolved with the help of and reliance on “safety devices” is well trained, well paid, well supported truck drivers who are prepared to abide by the rules and take safety as a responsibility and develop themselves into great drivers.
Just because the government issues a commercial driver’s licence does not
from within polices itself in addition to those civil servants charged with testing; unless and until the government conducts regular facility audits on both all training establishments and all those with authorities to haul customer freight; and unless and until shippers assume responsibility for having their freight ready in plenty of time so that pressure isn't forced on the truck driver, no "safety device" is going to stop one wreck.
Join the red seal skilled trade march to help solve all of these issues that safety devices can never do. It is impossible for a mere device to overcome the
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Supplies for Winter Driving
BY MICHAEL HOWE
Heads up! Winter is coming! Yes, after a warm summer all the signs of colder wintry weather are becoming more and more apparent. Whether it’s the leaves changing colors, the days being shorter, or the holiday decorations, we can be sure of one thing – roads are about to become more treacherous at times. It’s important to not only have your truck in great operating condition, but it’s also important to make sure you are well prepared with the supplies you might need during the winter. What are some of the items that might be a good idea to have with you during winter driving time?
While the list of winter preparation items may seem lengthy, none of these are overly burdensome or too bulky. Focus on items for your truck and items for you personally and utilize the K.I.S.S. approach – Keep It Simply Stupid.
Winter Supplies for the Truck:
Snow Chains – Many states have tire chain requirements so this should be a bit of a “given” for drivers who traverse mountainous areas for sure. Before heading out be certain you know how to install and use snow chains, that you know the rules for the states you will be driving through, and also that you know it’s ok to simply pull over if the roads are too bad.
Ice Scraper / Brush – Ice and snow can easily build on the windshield, windows, and even the mirrors. Make sure those areas are cleared off before you head out.
Jumper Cables – Freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on the battery. A quick jump can mean the difference between a warm shelter and a dangerous experience.
Sand / Kitty Litter – If you have
room, having some of this on hand might be just what you need for the traction to get moving again.
Fuel – This might seem obvious to have fuel as it’s important even in the summer of course. If you get stuck somewhere though for whatever reason, having enough fuel in the tank at all times will keep you warm. It’s worth stopping a little sooner than usual to be certain you always have half a tank at least.
Extra Road Flares – When the roads are slippery stopping is more difficult, so be able to warn other drivers sooner or become even more visible is a nice safety option.
Snow Shovel – Even just a small emergency snow shovel can come in hand when the snow really builds up as you never know when you might need a little help digging out.
Floor Mats – Floor mats get wet and slipper from snow that falls off the boots. Having some that are thicker or rubbery can provide the extra traction needed to keep your feet from slipping as you operate the pedals.
Winter Supplies for You:
Extra Blankets – Sleeping bags or blankets are essential during the winter months – keep plenty on hand to make sure you can remain warm even if the truck isn’t operational.
Winter Clothes – Chances are you will be in and out of your truck regularly, just as you would any day in the warmer months. Having appropriate heavy-duty clothes that can withstand moisture and maintain warmth is important. Waterproof boots will help keep your feet dry and warm too. Even if your clothes get wet, it’s important to have enough with that
you can change into dry clothes anytime.
Food and Water – Bring plenty of water and non-perishable food for every trip. Canned food, freeze dried food, and bottles of water should do the trick.
Cell Phone Charger – Battery chargers for cell phones are quite affordable, so having one or more charged and ready to go before a trip is just one more item that adds to peace of mind.
Flashlights – A good flashlight that performs well in any weather can help with fixing the truck, finding items in the cab and flagging down help. Test it to make sure the batteries are good before each trip.
CB – Consider carrying a batterypowered CB for use in emergencies.
Medications – So many people are on a variety of medications nowadays and truck drivers are no different. Always have extra with you in case you get stranded somewhere during winter.
Finally, Do You Travel With a Pet? If the answer to this is yes, be certain to take extra food and water, as well as medications and supplies to keep your pet warm and dry.
Winter can deliver some very cold and very hazardous conditions for the great work truck drivers do. Health and safety should always be paramount and given the unpredictability of winter weather being prepared is essential. Plan ahead, have an emergency kit and appropriate winter supplies ready, and make sure your truck is in good condition before hitting the road – doing this might just make the difference between comfort and discomfort, or even life and death.
Credit Card Debt
My mortgage broker friend had called me to tell me about an article he had written for the local newspaper about reverse mortgages and financial matters. I said I can relate because most of my truckers have huge amounts of unsecured credit card debt and need some solutions. Some truckers owe over $50,000 in credit card debt! With interest rates finally dropping, it might be the time to explore some options on how to tackle this debt.
According to the Bank of Canada, the average credit card interest rate is 20.50 %. I like to point out these high rates because I get truckers yelling at me about rates under 10% for financing their old used equipment, but quite happily continue to use and pay the high interest rates on credit cards. They don’t say anything to the credit card company.
With income being significantly lower for many truck drivers, and equipment and mortgage payments that are not decreasing, shortfalls are bound to occur. People are paying the same bills with a lot less money. When they fall short, what do they do? They turn to their credit cards.
I’m having driver after driver being declined for loans and leases because their credit card debt is too high. I ask up front, “Do you have a lot of credit card debt?” It’s almost always a resounding “yes” response. If you cannot pay off your credit cards, then how can you expect to pay make an added payment? It can’t be done, and they get declined.
One solution for high interest credit card debt is a consolidation loan. A consolidated loan takes all your debt and makes it one single payment instead of multiple payments to multiple lenders. The various lenders you owe money to are all paid off and you pay the one payment back to the bank who gave the loan. Very rarely do I see a consolidation loan being approved. By the time the person realizes they are stuck financially, they no longer qualify because the debt is too high and there income is lacking. Timing is crucial for consolidation loans
and rarely are the loans applied for at the right time. You must apply while your credit is still in good standing and before you’re overwhelmed in debt. Rarely does this occur. If someone had the financial know how to understand the timing, then they probably wouldn’t be in a debt predicament in the first place.
Another option to tackle credit card debt is a second mortgage. Many take this in the form of a line of credit. This involves using equity you have in your home. You must have the equity to qualify. If you didn’t put a large enough down payment on the home, or have not experienced a housing market increase, you may not have enough equity. If you bought your home with poor market timing, you may even be in a negative equity situation where you owe more than the house is worth. Second mortgage rates are higher than first mortgage rates, but they are certainly lower than credit card interest if you qualify.
A reverse mortgage is where you take out a mortgage using your existing home as security. You use the amount to pay off your credit card debts, health expenses or other debts you have. You take out a lump sum or a lump with regular instalments over time. You then pay back the mortgage monthly. This is a popular option for seniors who want to continue to live in the home. However, these people have their homes paid off. I have met very few people in the trucking industry who have their homes paid off to explore this option, so I don’t see this as a viable option for many.
One alternative is to sell your property and move into something smaller or live in a rental. I find people don’t want to lose their homes and pride prevents them from this. They usually end up being foreclosed on and sued by multiple lenders, because they cannot accept their predicament and don’t want to admit it. But if you do decide to sell, and want to buy something smaller, you better ask an advisor to make sure you will qualify for the smaller property first before proceeding. Once approved, only then should you sell. I find many will never qualify for a mortgage of any
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amount ever again. If you choose to rent after downsizing, again you may never qualify to buy again. So instead, they stay put where they are, struggle each month paying the mortgage, and keep using the credit cards until they too are full, and end up bankrupt.
Speaking of bankruptcy, that is an additional means to eliminate your credit card debt. Bankruptcy or a consumer proposal are your choices. With bankruptcy all your unsecured debt will be written off. With a consumer proposal, you will pay back a much smaller percentage, usually 20-30% of what is owed. Lenders will not be pleased with this option. I personally think if you spent it, take responsibility, and pay it back. If you go with this option, your credit will be affected for at least seven years because it shows on your credit profile for that long. People think that once the seven years have passed, they will easily get credit again. Think again. People like me, who know how to read a credit bureau, will know you were a former bankrupt very rapidly. Not many financial institutions will be interested in a person who overspent in the past and did not take responsibility for it. Instead, they chose to run away from debt and force others to take a loss for their mistakes. Your past is how lenders make decisions in the present. Once your credit reputation is tarnished, it’s hard to ever recover.
I know it’s a very tough financial market out there for us in trucking. I have been stopping people from buying equipment they couldn’t afford. I lay out the reasons and most have luckily been taking the advice. But the biggest factor they cannot afford to buy the equipment is the huge amounts of credit card debt they have. Once trucking improves, things will get better and there will be more disposable income to tackle all the debt. At that time the options I have listed may be more feasible. But for now, the trucking industry is in a slump, so cut back on spending as much as possible and try avoiding using those credit cards if you can.
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Great Dane Named 2024 "Top Company for Women to Work in Transportation
Great Dane was pleased to announce the company was recently named a “Top Company for Women to Work in Transportation” for the second consecutive year. The recognition was awarded by Redefining the Road magazine, Women in Trucking’s (WIT) official publication. This is also Great Dane’s second year to secure a spot on “The Elite 30” list, which recognizes companies with the most votes.
The process for companies to be recognized included a rigorous nomination and review procedure, followed by votes cast by more than
31,000 professionals in transportation including executive management, operations and talent management executives, professional drivers, and manufacturing plant teams.
“Working for a company recognized as a top workplace for women is truly an honor. It reflects our dedication to creating an inclusive environment where everyone's contributions are valued. In the growing transportation industry, women are playing an increasingly important role, helping to drive innovation and shape the future," said Brandie Fuller, Great Dane’s Vice
President of Commercial Excellence.
“The women of Great Dane have made significant contributions to our company’s success throughout our celebrated history, enhancing our teams, improving our processes and products, and ultimately benefiting our customers,” said Rick Mullininx, President and COO of Great Dane. “We’re proud of this recognition because it highlights our commitment to fostering a culture where every team member is valued and respected, and we’re privileged to be recognized alongside other outstanding companies.”
Hankook is an Official Sponsor of the Ballon d'Or™
Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook Tire) is supporting this year’s Ballon d’Or™ award ceremony as an official sponsor. The Ballon d’Or™ is the most coveted recognition of outstanding performance and exceptional talent of male and female soccer players around the world. The 68th award ceremony took place in the Théâtre du Châtelet in the heart of the French capital, Paris, on October 28, 2024.
The terms of the partnership include both parties being able to use the other’s brand logos and the Hankook brand logo being prominently placed along the red carpet and in the press areas. In addition, digital activities on UEFA and Hankook channels are intended to further strengthen supporters' brand loyalty. Since 2024, the Ballon d’Or™ has been jointly awarded by UEFA and Groupe
Amaury, owner of the media companies France Soccer and L‘Équipe. The Ballon d’Or™ has been awarded annually since 1956.
“Our involvement as an official sponsor of the prestigious Ballon d’Or™ represents the logical continuation of many years of fruitful cooperation with UEFA,” says Sanghoon Lee, President and COO of Hankook Tire Europe. “The partnership embodies the ‘perfect match’ in our international sponsoring strategy, where positioning Hankook as a premium brand always takes center stage. Soccer remains the most popular sport by far in Europe and connects millions of people. We are proud to be a part of this.”
Hankook Tire’s sponsoring strategy demonstrates a clear approach based on significant partnerships on a global,
European and national scale. The focus is on first-class platforms with a wide reach like the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the UEFA Europa League & Conference League and the Borussia Dortmund soccer club. The goal of these partnerships is to create a strong presence worldwide and, at the same time, appeal to various target markets. The partnership with UEFAprovides a way of actively placing the brand in the most important European markets.
In addition to voting on the best male and female soccer players, the Ballon d’Or™ award honours soccer achievements in seven other categories. Two new awards this year are the Coach of the Year for both men’s and women’s soccer, which acknowledges the valuable contribution that coaches make to success on the pitch.
19
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Daimler Trucks Appoints Karin Rödström as New Chairwoman
Daimler Truck announced that Karin Rådström took over as CEO on Oct. 1, replacing company veteran Martin Daum.
Daimler Truck Chairman of the Supervisory Board Joe Kaeser praised Rådström’s industry knowledge and leadership skills.
Rådström joined Daimler Truck in February 2021 as head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks. During this tenure, the company said she had helped reshape the Mercedes-Benz truck segment’s profitability and advanced its sustainability efforts, including introducing a range of battery-electric trucks. She previously oversaw sales and marketing and served on the executive board at Swedish truck manufacturer Scania, which is owned by Traton Group. The native of Sweden helmed Scania’s bus and coach division prior to that.
“She has proven that she is able to successfully advance the transformation of a brand while navigating a challenging external environment,” he said. “As a true leader, Rådström has been instrumental in establishing a new performance culture and fostering empowerment, diversity and customer focus.”
Rådström will remain responsible for Mercedes-Benz Trucks until a successor is appointed.
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DEER COLLISION SEASON
STARTING MONTHS*
Deer-Vehicle Collisions Starting to “Rack Up” Repair Costs
Coming soon to a highway, interstate or street near you: the premiere of deer rutting season. Deer on the move this fall means a higher percentage of deer-vehicle collisions, resulting in more potential damage to your fleet, increasingly expensive repairs and frustrating downtime for your drivers. Part by part, day by day, the number of this year’s deer versus truck
showdowns can quickly rack up and put a serious dent in your company’s bottom line.
The
Deer-Vehicle Collision Stats are Startling
While deer-vehicle collisions can happen anytime throughout the year, the months of October, November and December are most prevalent, when deer are migrating and more active. U.S.
drivers filed an estimated 1.8 million animal collision insurance claims in the U.S. between July 2022 and June 2023, with November being the most dangerous month for incidents..1 And the toll on vehicle damage, economic losses and human casualties is deer-inthe-headlights startling:
• Around 2.1 million deer-vehicle collisions occur annually.
^Information from individual Provence’s Governmental website.
*When deer populations start to become largest and most active during the year.
• These collisions cause more than $10 billion in economic losses.
• Each year, deer collisions account for some 59,000 human injuries and 440 human deaths.2
Your risk of colliding with a deer is higher depending on where you are in the U.S. West Virginia is the state with the highest risk of your vehicle striking a deer, followed by Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Iowa.3
In Iowa, drivers can face multiple factors that contribute to increased encounters with deer, according to Sgt. Alex Dinkla of the Iowa State Patrol. “Since Iowa is primarily a rural state, there is a robust deer population moving across more rural roads. When you combine that with the fact that it’s rutting season as well as harvesting season where deer are moving from field to field, motorists really need to be on the lookout.”
Dinkla, who has also served as a patrol officer during his 20+ years in law enforcement, has witnessed numerous deer-vehicle collisions, with results ranging from no damage at all to simple property damage, all the way to vehicles being totaled. And the damage doesn’t always stop with the vehicle who struck the deer. He adds, “There are incidents where the deer will be struck by a vehicle and then thrown into oncoming traffic, causing damage to even more vehicles.”
The Cost of Big Rig Repair is Increasing
One in nine trucks experience a collision each year, and according to industry data compiled by PPG’s AdjustRite commercial estimating system, the cost of repairing front-end severity, which includes parts, supplies, materials, etc., is on the rise for Classes 1 through 8. Factoring for any frontend damage (left front, front, and right front), AdjustRite reported increases from 2021 to 2022, with tractor repairs rising the most with 24% to $13,317.4
Chances are a collision with a deer won’t total out a semi-truck. But it could
damage the hood, body and grille, as well as more critical components, leading to extended downtime – on average two days or more – and expensive repairs. In fact, AdjustRite estimates the average labor hours for a heavy-duty truck front-end collision were:
• Body: 20.7 hours
• Frame: 12.9 hours
• Mechanical: 15.1 hours
• Paint: 12.5 hours
That’s a total of 61.2 hours if all areas need to be repaired.
And the repair costs can really hit home, like it did for this driver who weighed in on thetruckersreport.com: “I have hit five deer in 15 years of driving trucks, in Nebraska, Kentucky, Georgia, Arkansas and Ohio. The one I hit in Georgia was the most devastating. It was intense – there were pieces of the truck everywhere. I had to get towed and the whole coolant system was destroyed. That was almost 10k in costs, hotels and damage.”
Downtime, Towing and CSA Score Costs are Often Missed
In addition to the hard costs to repair an animal strike, too often fleets don’t recognize their biggest expenses – the opportunity costs of missed days of revenue from each downed truck. According to a recent white paper from Ex-Guard, the average cost of a day of downtime for fleets is $1,200; which can take the total cost of an accident north of $50,000.
According to Ryan Holt, General Manager of Ex-Guard, fleets can feel the regulatory and contractual pinch when their towable accidents get recorded in the CSA database. “These accidents affect fleets’ status with the government, with customers and can even lead to the loss of their ability to operate. When a truck receives enough damage that it is no longer deemed roadworthy, contracts, licenses and livelihoods are at stake.”
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This fall, millions of deer will be roaming the highways, greatly increasing the chances of deer-vehicle collisions. But with Ex-Guard grille guards, you can dramatically decrease the potential damage to your trucks – and downtime for repairs.
In fact, Ex-Guard customers have reported 80% fewer towable accidents by adding Ex-Guard to their trucks. Think about the potential
PS:
Magnum Proud
Magnum is an authorized dealer for Vanguard refrigerated and dry freight truck bodies. With over 40 years of experience in production and service, Magnum was selected for their reliability and innovation in the truck industry. Starting in 1984, Magnum has grown from a company focused on trailer manufacturing to an industry leader in truck equipment, trailer manufacturing, and innovative customer solutions taking on almost any project.
Magnum Service prides themselves on creative thinking which has generated a 40-year legacy of innovative design and dependable quality. Their engineering team has over 135 years of combined experience creating projects for a diverse offering of organizations like the Ministry of Transport, the Coast Guard, and NASA.
As of right now Magnum is
offering refrigerated truck bodies as an authorized dealer for sales from VanGuard. Developed to not only stand up to the Canadian seasons and roads, these truck bodies are made to last. One-piece, full-length cargo track and scuff liner with a full seamless thermoplastic interior wall and ceiling lining. Above the cross members is a one-piece composite sheet and full stainless steel front wall with chromed dormer and cast corner caps. The inverted T aluminum floor is robotically welded for clean, precise, and consistent welds. Thermoplastic lining with antimicrobial resistant components allows for a full wash down. Ideal for the food, pharmaceutical, and medical fields. Built to be thermally efficient, the injected and pressed polyurethane insulation process removes the possibility of voids.
There are many sizes and configurations available including both multi and single temp applications.
By: Tyson Gibbons
Sizes available from 12 feet to 30 feet including options for stainless steel front corner radius, stainless steel rear frames, and fully hot dipped galvanized subframes. Externally, the galvanized steel composite panels utilize high steel bonded to a high-density polyethylene core with protective coating on both sides. These bodies are also ideal for electric trucks as the lightweight honeycomb composite panels help offset the weight of the batteries and other components.
Each truck body comes with a significant warranty: 1-year limited warranty coverage, 3-year warranty against water infiltration, and a 5 year structural warranty including roof bows, side and front wall posts, top and bottom rails, rear frame and subframe. Magnum Service being an authorized dealer means you have two trusted names in the industry backing an exceptional product.
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When Jollibee opened in Surrey King George Hub in February 2023, I saw a lot of line ups. Line ups that stretched around the block. I was curious but didn’t want to wait over two hours. Each time I drove past there was always a line. I went by the location in downtown Vancouver on Granville and again a big line up. All I knew was that the chicken was supposed to be good and the spaghetti. I was coming from a fundraiser for the arts from South Surrey and dropping off a friend by the King George Hub and I noticed there was no line up outside. I asked my friend if he wanted to go for a bite, and he agreed!
The King George Hub has 1 hour of free parking, so I registered the car, and we walked up. My friend was eyeing a ramen restaurant across the street, but I had my eye of the prize. My friend was surprised I was so focused on fast food. There was a line up, but it was inside the restaurant and didn’t wrap around the building like usual. The line went by quickly and we chose a $15 menu deal. You get a chicken sandwich; either original or spicy, a choice of a side, a drink, and a pie. We both chose a spicy chicken sandwich, a spaghetti side, a pineapple quencher drink that everyone seemed to have, and peach mango pie. We were given an electronic disk which lights up when the food was ready and managed to find a seat in the packed restaurant.
When the disk lit up, I got my friend to stay seated to hold our seats and I got the food. They failed to give us the pies and we had to go back to ask for them. I tasted the pineapple quencher drink, and it tasted like pineapple juice that you find in the store but sweeter. Everyone had this drink and seemed to be obsessed with it. I didn’t see anyone with soda or water, just the pineapple. I took a bite of the chicken sandwich. It had a good crispy coating but didn’t seem very spicy. There was a fresh jalapeno slice in the middle of the sandwich. Having come from Nashville not long ago, and eaten Nashville hot chicken, the Jollibee sandwich was NOT spicy.
Jollibee
9850 King George Blvd #110, Surrey, BC V3T 0P9
PASH BRAR
Next, I tried the spaghetti. It looked like it had a bit of cheese sprinkled on it. I had heard the spaghetti was sweet, so I was suspicious. It wasn’t too sweet, but certainly sweeter than I’m accustomed to, but still edible. It had a smoky flavor. I wouldn’t go out of my way to order it again.
Lastly, I tried the peach mango pie, which almost every table also seemed to have. It was served similar to McDonalds pies in a cardboard container. I will warn you it is very hot in the middle, so be very careful eating it. I found the crust a bit thick and a lot more crust than filling. The crust had a sheen to it, I think maybe it’s from oil. The pie was underfilled and greasy. The photos show a pie brimming with filling and the pie had very miniscule amounts of filling.
With all the hype and all the line ups, I didn’t think Jollibee was anything great. I won’t make any effort to go back. I think people who grew up with it in the Philippines are obviously obsessed because it brings back memories and nostalgia. But there are certainly much better chicken sandwiches out there. In fact, I made my nephew Nashville hot chicken sandwiches for his birthday, and he said it’s the best chicken sandwich he ever had. So, if I have a choice, I’d rather make my own chicken sandwich at home. The sweet pineapple drink, the sweet spaghetti and sweet pie are fueling a sugar addiction in my opinion. I don’t expect any fast food to be healthy, and it’s a treat to eat only once in awhile. But if I’m going to eat unhealthy fast food, I want it to be good, and this food was not good. I won’t go back because I can pour a container of sugar over my food at home.
Peterbilt Supports United Way of Denton County on Peterbilt Pride & Class Day with Annual Parade
Peterbilt proudly supports United Way of Denton County and hosted its 7th annual parade on the City of Denton’s Peterbilt Pride & Class Day on Friday, October 18. The Pride & Class Parade raises awareness and donations for United Way of Denton County and took place around the historic Denton Square in Denton, TX. Over 50 exclusive Peterbilt trucks from across the United States and Canada were featured in the parade.
Peterbilt has partnered with United Way of Denton County for over three decades and supported a week of giving leading up to the Pride & Class Parade. Denton-based employees contributed individually and participated in a variety of company-sponsored fundraising activities and contests during the weeklong campaign.
“Peterbilt and United Way of Denton County share a rich partnership that has positively impacted this community for over 30 years. The financial support and generosity of time to many of our programs leaves no doubt as to why Peterbilt and its employees have created an indelible mark on the Denton County community,” said Gary Henderson, president & CEO, United Way of Denton County.
The Pride & Class Parade, first held in 2016, has grown into an eagerly awaited tradition capturing Peterbilt pride and the enthusiasm of its local employees, fan base and community. This year’s parade featured an impressive lineup of Peterbilt trucks, including the Legendary Model 589, iconic Model 389X and the Model 567. Parade goers enjoyed an exciting procession of meticulously customized
Peterbilt trucks proudly owned by dedicated super-fans and passionate enthusiasts.
During the event, Jason Skoog, general manager for Peterbilt and vice president for PACCAR noted Peterbilt’s excitement to celebrate Peterbilt Pride & Class Day granted by the City of Denton, and how proud the company was to mark the occasion with the annual parade celebrating locally built trucks and the spirit of giving. “The parade rounds out our United Way campaign week, spotlighting the craftsmanship of our employees and the passion of Peterbilt owners and fans, but more importantly reminding us that together we are a driving force for positive change in our local community,” added Jason Skoog.
What it’s Like Driving a Commercial Vehicle
Ray Gompf
When the general public describes someone as a professional driver, they often describe someone who gets paid to drive.
Although that is a true statement, there’s more to it than that. Professionalism as a driver also includes how we present ourselves behind the wheel. Attitude is a huge part of making it safely through each day on the roads. Are you professional enough to handle today’s traffic?
When it comes to being a professional driver, it starts with the end goal in mind. Reaching your destination safely should be on the mind of all drivers. But how you get there is just as important, if not more important. Sharing the road with other drivers seems to be tough for some people to accept. It seems that many drivers are in a “me-me mentality”. They’ll do whatever it takes to reach their destination, including driving in a risky manner.
Many drivers seem to battle each other for the same space on the road. Allowing the other driver to occupy that space will give you the edge as being the professional driver. It helps to create a cooperative driving culture. Professional drivers use space management. They occupy the available space and don’t
force others to create space for them. Adjusting speed to create space doesn’t really slow you down from reaching your goal. Generally, you’ll have to slow down for slower vehicles ahead of you during your travels or when you stop at red lights. To illustrate this, think about the driver you’ve spotted who weaves throughout traffic. Quite often you catch up to them at a red light.
As another example, when you spot a vehicle attempting to merge into traffic near you, adjusting speed or changing lanes to allow them to merge safely not only helps them, it helps you as well. Blocking them could lead to road rage or either of you becoming an angry driver. When your emotions get the best of you, your decision-making abilities worsen. Letting the merging driver do their thing helps to keep you and all the other traffic moving along smoothly and safely as well. That’s a smart move for a professional driver.
Our society seems to have so many distractions that may take our mind away from the driving task. The professional driver removes the distractions before they begin driving. Put the phone away, secure loose items which may take your eyes and mind away from the driving environment for a few too many seconds. Even having to use the washroom can become a distraction while driving. Plan
the rest stops as best you can. Having your eyes and mind focused on the driving task will allow you to make good driving choices; choices a professional driver needs to make.
Driving a commercial vehicle takes responsibility, not only to operate the vehicle safely, but also to professionally display the brand you’re working for. Driving etiquette plays a role with becoming a professional driver. Driving a commercial vehicle could be similar to driving a mobile billboard. The general public know the company that employs you. Making a huge driving error, either a violation of the law or an attitude error could not only affect the company for which you work, but could also affect you and your employment status.
A professional driver is someone who looks well ahead of the traffic, anticipates the actions of other road users and responds early to avoid conflict. They avoid sweating over the little stuff. They think things through before acting on them. They often take the safer option, even though it may take them longer to reach their destination. I once worked with a company whose fleet manager said, “I would rather you get there safely and late than not get there at all.” Those are wise words for a professional driver.
•
2024 Dodge Hornet
You know things are grim at a manufacturer when they make a big deal about the fact that their new car is the first all-new offering in more than a decade. Dodge has had a rough go of it in recent years. They’ve limped along for the last decade selling V8 iterations of their various muscle car offerings. Credit where it’s due, they’ve milked that segment for all it’s worth and then some. The time ultimately came however for Dodge to offer something new. Their corporate overlords at Stellantis were looking to add a mid-sized SUV from Alfa Romeo for the North American market so this seemed like a great time to combine the two, save some money and produce a mediocre, poorly engineered, blandly styled 5-seater that nobody really cares about. To add insult to injury, they then decided to tick the EV box by adding a PHEV variant. Sad then
that with the 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T PHEV we get an extension of that same lackluster design philosophy. What a disappointment.
The 5-passenger SUV segment leaves the current car customer spoiled for choice. There are so many options in fact that to stand out you had better be damned sure your offering is special. Just to compete it needs to be pretty, feature bold design flourishes, have modern technology that works and give buyers space they can use for hauling their children around. Stellantis must know this of course as they are a global manufacturer of cars and, theoretically, they study a market segment before they sink millions into designing and building a new model for said segment. Curious then that we ended up with the all-new Dodge Hornet. It’s not pretty, it’s just bland looking. You can’t get
emotional about the appearance of a vehicle like this. It’s so boring looking you don’t love it or hate it. You don’t even register it should you pass on one on the road (which you won’t, as nobody is buying them). Does the Hornet feature any bold design choices? No, quite the opposite actually. The interior is standard Dodge and offers nothing special. The infotainment system is okay, but that’s not good enough considering what you get elsewhere. The exterior, even in R/T trim, has no special design touches. It’s four doors, a hatch and five seats. That’s it. Does the Hornet feature lots of useable space? No, not even close. The floor is so high in the rear of this thing and the roofline relatively low that you end up with very little cargo room. If you have to take three burly teenaged football players to practice like I do three times a week, you’re going to struggle to get their
pads in the back and keep the cargo cover in place. When I say struggle, I mean you’ll fail. There is so little room back there it made me audibly sigh in frustration. Compare this to something like the Honda CR-V and it’s laughable. The CRV give you Costco-sized space in the cabin and a boatload of space in the back and it costs less.
I feel that sometimes carmakers produce vehicles just to tick boxes and comply with expectations and legislation demanding they make certain kinds of cars. The Toyota BZ4X/Subaru Solterra is a great example of this. Nobody asked for a lumpen, half-painted SUV lacking all kinds of inspiration but both company’s felt like they needed an EV SUV so they collaborated on that thing to tick the box and ride out the EV wave while everyone figures out it might not be the revolution they thought it was.
The PHEV Hornet feels exactly the same. A well-designed PHEV is a thing of beauty. It gives you the benefits of an EV without all the shortcomings. Volvo makes a great line of PHEV vehicles that work as they should. The other side of that coin are cars like the Hornet PHEV which just doesn’t work. The electric range is miniscule in the real world, takes way too long to charge, won’t self charge and doesn’t even combine for good fuel economy. It leaves you wondering what the point is. Then you realize Dodge doesn’t really care about making a good PHEV, they just need to make a PHEV. This is the result.
At least the 2024 Dodge Hornet PHEV is well priced – no, wait, that’s not true either. To add insult to injury with this car, it’s grossly overpriced. I cannot fathom how they expect people
to pay somewhere in the range of a 55-60k CAD (it’s hard to peg down exact list price as Dodge rolls in EV rebates and factory rebates into their list pricing) when, at said price point, there are endless options. This pricing philosophy might explain why you don’t see many Hornets on the road. Of the ones you do see, I have yet to see a PHEV variant.
I truly have no idea what Dodge was thinking when they put the Hornet into production. It misses in every category that matters. This leaves their new offering far behind the rest of the pack. Considering more all-new models must be in the pipeline, I hope they learn something from this experience and pivot accordingly. In the meantime, the bulk of us looking for a 5-passenger PHEV will look anywhere else.
Take a dive into trailer tire specifications and maintenance
Understanding load ratings, sizes, and proper tire inflation can boost your fleet's safety and efficiency.
Despite receiving less attention in trailer spec discussions, trailer tires are vital as they are the only components that connect a trailer to the road, contributing significantly to fleet safety, performance, and sustainability initiatives.
Understanding the basics of trailer tire maintenance, including load ratings, sizes, and the importance of proper inflation, can significantly enhance the performance of a trailer's cargo-carrying capabilities while maximizing uptime.
Designed to Carry the Load:
Trailer tires are specifically designed to carry the heavy loads of the trailer's cargo while maintaining stability, providing traction, and maximizing fuel efficiency and durability. To accomplish this, tire manufacturers spend a lot of time dialing in the specific attributes needed for heavy-duty trailer tires.
"Bridgestone heavy-duty trailer tires are uniquely designed for the trailer position in several ways," says Robby Hamby, Director of Commercial Product Strategy at Bridgestone Americas, a supplier of trailer tires for Great Dane. "These include a unique casing design, an optimized tread depth, and a specialized tread pattern. This allows Bridgestone to
maximize the tire's rolling resistance and wear life while still carrying the required load and maintaining casing durability to maximize the number of retread lives for the trailer position."
The design of a tire's casing greatly impacts a tire's load capacity. These casings feature layers of rubber-coated steel cords around each tire bead bundle. Manufacturers can increase or decrease the number of these cords to adjust the tire's load capacity. While a stronger tire allows for a higher load capacity, the trade-off is often decreased fuel efficiency.
The key for fleets is identifying the right combination of attributes for their application.
Size Matters:
Fleets should work with their equipment providers to help determine their appropriate trailer tire size, which should be based on the heaviest vehicle load scenario. Other considerations include the dimensional clearance of the tire and rim choice. When spec'ing dual tires or wide-base tires, it is also important to measure the width of the tires.
The Tire and Rim Association publishes a list of acceptable wheels based on tire size. Fleets should select the wheel that can handle the load and inflation ratings of the tire selected.
The Power of Proper Inflation:
Ensuring trailer tires are properly inflated is one of the most effective ways a fleet can achieve greater efficiency and uptime in its operations. Proper PSI contributes to the tire's overall performance and preserves its casing integrity. By keeping a trailer tire's case strong, fleets enhance the possibility of retreading the tire.
Dual tire assemblies are even more important for running at the proper inflation levels. Two dual-assembly tires with different pressures-even as small as 5 PSI-can lead to uneven load distribution and an increased risk of blowouts.
"There are a lot of variables when it comes to tires, between choosing the right tire for your operation and the right pressure for your loads to get the best tire life. Fleets that go with a tire pressure across all their tires because they've always heard it was the right pressure can get strange wear patterns over time. Knowing all the variables and working with your tire supplier to help pick the right tire and the right pressure for your operation is very important," said James Brown, Manager of Warranty and Customer Service at Great Dane.
By paying close attention to trailer tire basics, fleets can enhance their operational performance and keep more money in their pocketbooks.
Designed to change everything
Once again, we’re changing the industry - with quantum leaps forward in fuel efficiency, safety, productivity, connectivity, and uptime. Just what you’d expect from Volvo Trucks, in a totally unexpected way.
ALL-NEW VOLVO VNL
